Palo Santo Marron - Dogfish Head Brewery

Beer_Runner

4.48/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on 11/21/11 and aged about one year before opening.

A: A slow pour into a standard pint glass produced about one finger of dark khaki head that dissipated to a collar after a few minutes and left some okay lacing and the glass emptied. The brew is a moonless-midnight black.

S: The aroma is a pleasant blend of vanilla, wood, smoke, toasted grain, and some sweet malt.

T: The taste begins with a big shot of sweet malt and vanilla. Very quickly some toasted grain, wood, and just a bit of booziness come along and balance the sweetness. And, to add even more complexity there are also some hints of dark dried fruit.

M: The body is heavy, full, and smooth; and, it is just a bit sticky. There is only a small amount of carbonation, which seems to fit this beer just right.

O: This is a great beer; and, it is available year-round. This beer is a style onto itself. It has the sweetness of a barleywine, combined with the complexity of black ale. The malt sweetness and the vanilla come very close to becoming cloying, but just in time the toasted grain, wood, a smooth booziness, and a few hints of dark dried fruit join in to add balance and complexity. Fans of sweeter beers should put this n their “must try” list. DFH really nailed it with this one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 00:24:53 | More by Beer_Runner

TXhomebrewer

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 01:22:17 | More by TXhomebrewer

jakeox

Illinois

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-19-2013 00:55:27 | More by jakeox

iCabaLLero

Georgia

5/5  rDev +19.3%

05-18-2013 21:01:35 | More by iCabaLLero

Photekut

Azerbaijan

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-18-2013 20:46:49 | More by Photekut

megamass

New Jersey

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-18-2013 04:10:06 | More by megamass

Honus1

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -10.5%

05-18-2013 02:51:03 | More by Honus1

themantis13

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-17-2013 20:47:34 | More by themantis13

Jsmick

Massachusetts

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-17-2013 03:47:14 | More by Jsmick

ElizabethEleanor

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-17-2013 03:25:06 | More by ElizabethEleanor

mverity

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-16-2013 21:27:50 | More by mverity

abex44

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-16-2013 20:51:06 | More by abex44

Jazzpha

District of Columbia

4.44/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled on: 9/18/2012

Pour: Medium-slow, indistinguishable from a porter or stout. Most robust brown ale I’ve ever seen, by far. Half-finger of dark tan head fades fast, almost no carbination rising. Very, very few bubbles.

Aroma: Sweet, Old Rasputin-esque malt, quickly joined by the wood scent of the Palo Santo wood. A note of char as well, one of the most pronounced I’ve smelled.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Some beers make a smooth entrance, easing open your tastebuds before unfolding the rest of their flavors. This is not one of those beers. This thing gatecrashes your mouth and charges in full speed ahead, before assaulting your tastebuds like Old Rasputin’s crazy drunk uncle. Big, big bitter coffee notes, and dark chocolate. Bracing, powerful flavors all the way through. No sweetness to help you recover; this beer gives no quarter and I love it. Still, ridiculously smooth for 12%-- a lot smoother than the last time I remember having a bottle from this same 4-pack. Alcohol burn is limited to a slight tingle in the nostrils on the finish, like slightly mild horseradish. Malty goodness persists throughout the entire sip, and the mouthfeel is as big and chewy as an imperial stout, easily. The wood flavor borders on smoky at the very end of the finish, but in a way that smoothes out the taste in preparation for the next sip. This beer is a monster, and makes no apologies about that whatsoever. Either you roll with it or get rolled over, but I love this stuff.

Overall: This beer is awesome, definitely not sessionable, and best enjoyed savored over a decent period of time. Beastly in the most literal of senses. 4.5/5

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 20:42:52 | More by Jazzpha

tviz33

New York

4.35/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a 12 oz bottle in to a Duvel tulip.

A- Pours a motor oil body with a quarter inch of brown head that settles to a small cap.

S- Really rich, sweet smell. Molasses, vanilla, toffee, chocolate, hops, wood, and definitely some alcohol.

T- Very sweet, but not overly so. This is a little boozy, but a nice woody character compliments the alcohol along with toffee and some dark fruits. I'm a fan.

M- Medium feel, which is thinner than I expected. Creamy and tingly.

O- I really enjoyed this brew. This one is a sipper at 12%, but it's quite easy to suck right down. I would love to get my hands on a 4 pack of the stuff.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 18:28:52 | More by tviz33

ChanChan

California

4.18/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: This is darker than a great number of imperial stouts!!

Aroma: The aroma in this beer reminds me of an aged Mephistopheles, perhaps the Palo Santo has a lot to do with that!

Taste: Very good taste of dark fruits, vanilla and a good amount of wood character!

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied.

Overall: This beer is fantastic, its pricey but if one has the patience to age this beer!!I really like it!!

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2013 06:12:07 | More by ChanChan

William85

Texas

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-15-2013 23:27:21 | More by William85

maxcoinage

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-15-2013 19:44:02 | More by maxcoinage

LaChupacabra

California

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%

05-15-2013 03:47:44 | More by LaChupacabra

Hugonaut13

Illinois

3/5  rDev -28.4%

05-14-2013 13:44:01 | More by Hugonaut13

deadliest

Texas

4.25/5  rDev +1.4%

05-14-2013 03:31:42 | More by deadliest

Chiefmanynames

California

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-14-2013 02:34:16 | More by Chiefmanynames

vrbulldog22

Ohio

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-13-2013 18:47:55 | More by vrbulldog22

The_Revisionist

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev -4.5%

05-13-2013 09:58:32 | More by The_Revisionist

Bonko_the_sane

North Carolina

4.5/5  rDev +7.4%

05-13-2013 05:14:17 | More by Bonko_the_sane

xShoWTeKx

South Carolina

4.75/5  rDev +13.4%

05-13-2013 04:22:17 | More by xShoWTeKx